THE DOOMED & STONED SHOW (S9E8)

We tread on to mighty episode 8 for a look at the June 2023 rankings from DoomCharts.com – a packed episode that features commentary from Billy Goate (Doomed & Stoned), John Gist (Vegas Rock Revolution), and Bucky Brown (The Ripple Effect) – plus tons of new music, including Queens of the Stone Age, Witchskull, and Church of Misery.

This month, Doomed & Stoned celebrates 10 years! If you dig the blog or the show, consider becoming a regular monthly supporter: patreon.com/doomedandstoned. Don’t forget to show the bands some love by clicking the hot-linked names and grabbing their albums!

The Doomed & Stoned Show is now streaming on Spotify, Soundcloud, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spreaker, and more!

PLAYLIST:

INTRO (00:00)
1. Wytch Hazel (no. 19) - “The Fire’s Control” (00:31)

HOST SEGMENT I (04:21) - June Doom Charts
2. Rival Sons (no. 22) - “Nobody Wants To Die” (31:05)
3. The Gray Goo (no. 29) - “Pipe Hitter” (34:49)
4. Rainbows Are Free (no. 16) - “Sonic Demon” (39:20)

HOST SEGMENT II (44:34)
5. Lore (no. 39) - “The City of Suicide” (59:06)
6. Outer Head (no. 28) - “Astral Traveler” (1:03:09)
7. Slow Wake (no. 15) - “In Waves” (1:07:33)

HOST SEGMENT III (1:18:52)
8. Queens of the Stone Age (no. 10) - “Paper Machete” (1:44:49)
9. Lamassu (no. 9) - “Washed Away” (1:48:12)
10. King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard (no. 8) - “Converge” (1:54:42)

HOST SEGMENT IV (2:00:59)
11. Snakemother (no. 7) - “Gold Shields” (2:19:00)
12. Dead Quiet (no. 6) - “Murder City” (2:22:22)
13. Witchskull (no. 5) - “The Serving Ritual” (2:29:47)

HOST SEGMENT V (2:33:49)
14. High Priest (no. 4) - “Down In The Dark” (3:08:06)
15. Black Rainbows (no. 3) - “Til the Outerspace” (3:12:52)
16. Church of Misery (no. 2) - “Beltway Sniper” (3:16:23)
17. Saint Karloff (no. 1) - “Bone Cave Escape” (3:25:07)

OUTRO (3:31:32)
18. King Howl (no. 33) - “From The Cradle” (3:32:41) [BONUS]
19. Bongzilla (no. 21) - “Dab City” (3:35:08) [BONUS]
20. From The Ages (no. 25) - “Tenebrous” (3:46:59) [BONUS]

CREDITS:
Theme Song: Dylan Tucker
Thumbnail: Lamassu’s ‘Made of Dust’ (2023)
Incidental Music: Copper Age & Crypt Witch

We asked Melbourne doom metallers LAMASSU to give us the low-down on their 2nd album, ‘Made of Dust’ (2023) – just released this week. Frontman Chris Fisher generously obliged with the following in-depth breakdown! (Editor)

Creative Process

All of the songs from Made of Dust were written music first with the lyrics coming much later in the process, with the exception of “White Pills” and “Something Else” (we’ll come back to these two).

In most cases, Matt or myself will come up with an idea, either fully formed sections or at least an intro/verse riff, chorus and give them a working title. The working title will often reflect either the feel of the song, the inspiration behind the riff or as is often the case a joke. For example, ‘Shit Town, Misery’ had the working title of ‘Yazz’ right up until late 2022 when I finally wrote the lyrics for it. ‘Yazz’ is taken from the movie “Anchorman” and refers to his character playing “Yazz flute”. Matt presented this new song to us which begins on an A# Minor 9 Jazz chord and then continues to anchor on that chord throughout the song. Matt loves Jazz so its totally him to come up with this heavy and weird track that starts on a Jazz chord, gets heavy as and has a totally insane middle section.

Recording

We recorded all of the instrument tracks in a week-long session in April 2021 at The Aviary Studios here in Melbourne. We demoed everything in January, reviewed, made changes and then rehearsed multiple times a week for about 6 weeks before heading into the studio. We track everything live with only solo’s, additional parts and alternate instruments over dubbed so we had to be tight.

BATTLE CRY

The foundation of the music for Battle Cry was brought to the band by Matt with the lyrics coming together late 2022 from Chris. It’s slow building, musically dark with really interesting chords and progressions. A really fun track to play live.

Lyrically, I tried to match its musical darkness with an end of the world, us versus them type story. It’s basically my frustration with Governments and Corporations choosing money and handouts for their rich mates over protecting the environment and our most vulnerable communities. You either end up being one of them or against them, hence Battle Cry. The trickle down economy being the poison flowing down through generations of people in charge who control the wealth.

WASHED AWAY

Another track where the foundation of the music was written by Matt. A very cool intro riff and a hooky odd time signature chorus riff, exploring some different and at times dissonant chords, it was always a prime candidate to be the first single.

Lyrically this one is darker than the song perhaps sounds, themed around anxiety, death and the impending doom of the world, it’s a real cheery number.

SHIT TOWN, MISERY

This will always be called ‘Yazz’ to me. Opening on an A# Minor #9 and repeatedly anchoring on that chord, a jazz chord of all things, this track pumps along fast (for us) and is a pretty heavy number which features a totally insane middle section. Again Matt is responsible for the core musical ideas and I wrote the words, we developed the arrangement jamming it with the band.

Lyrically it’s me being pissed off with governments locking people up who are fleeing unspeakable terrors in other countries, forcing them to suffer, wither and die in custody here and celebrating it as a political achievement.

INTERLUDE I

I came up with this one day and loved the chord progression. It never felt like it was meant to be a full song but I have always loved albums with quirky fade in’s and outs and thought this would be a perfect chapter marker on Made of Dust. In the studio we just hit record and jammed on this for a while, ending up with a track over 7 minutes. We selected this 30 second snippet as it feels right in this section of the album.

THE FOG

Myself, Matt and Nick, our drummer, had a songwriting weekend away in the country a few years back. We actually took over Nick’s parents house while they were away, setting up our gear in their big country house lounge room. We jammed heaps, drank and smoked and generally had a great time. Al couldn’t join us that weekend so Matt jumped on the bass and came up with what would end up being the main progression and the chorus. By the end of the weekend we had a pretty good framework of what became ‘The Fog.’

In the studio there was an old Fender Rhodes which Matt used to add a nice underlying layer to the main progression, which added to the ethereal sound of this track. A funny memory was that the sustain pedal was broken and Nick ended up on the floor holding it together while Matt tracked the part! Lyrically it’s about someone battling with their demons. Dark thoughts, depression and anxiety, violent responses, and how these things hold them back in life. I would say it’s the sequel to ‘Chokehold Companion’ from our first album, ‘Into the Empty.’

SORROW OF THE CHILDREN

It’s no secret that I love buying guitars. Some might call it a habit, some might call it a problem, either way I tend to come up with new songs shortly after I get one so surely that’s a good thing right?! I wrote the main riff for ‘Sorrow’ shortly after buying a beautiful Olympic white Strat with a Rosewood fretboard. I was messing about running it through fuzz pedals and that riff appeared.

With the working title ‘Fuzz Kill’ we started jamming the riffs with the band. Matt came up with the awesome intro / outro guitar harmonies over the melody Chris wrote, and counter melodies to the verse vocals, Al came up with the middle section breakdown riff which ended up becoming the guitar solo section where Matt does his best completely unhinged Kim Thayil impression with a ripping solo.

Lyrically is about corporate greed and the world we’re leaving behind for future generations…yeah I’m sensing a theme too.

SOMETHING ELSE

This is a track Matt wrote years ago that never really fit his previous bands. He shared an early drop-D demo version he recorded of himself playing all instruments and singing and I suggested we try it in our tuning (drop A#) and it worked really well.

Matt wrote the lyrics for this track and I believe it is touching on extraterrestrial/UFO and top secret themes. Matt also put down some Mellotron and Rhodes layers in the background that really glued this track together.

MADE OF DUST

The music for ‘Made of Dust’ is another composition Matt brought to the band. He said he wanted to write something slow, heavy and sludgy. I believe he was inspired by Soundgarden’s ‘4th of July’ crossed with ‘Mailman’, which are band favourites. There’s some interesting guitar counter melodies to the vocal lines throughout and it is a great driving track.

Lyrically, it’s about the toil of life, of unfulfilled dreams, death and the memories we carry of those we lost too soon.

INTERLUDE II

Same as Interlude I, we chose a 30 second section that captured the mood of the album in this spot. This 30 second snippet sounds and feels quite different to Interlude I, it has a sense of coming to a resolve.

WHITE PILLS

I wrote this for my old band Field. We played it a couple of times live but it felt unfinished and was never recorded before we disbanded. I thought it would make for a good Lamassu track, played slower and heavier with a second guitar. Matt came up with the guitar harmonies and Al and Nick did their things resulting in what we have now. The lyrics are about a period of time I went through a number of years ago.

TIN MAN

This track is one of our favourites to play, an absolute epic beast. The core musical ideas were brought to the band by Matt and we jammed it for a while to develop the arrangement and refine our individual parts. It’s also the last track I wrote lyrics for before recording them late last year (2022). The lyrics are basically saying hey the clock’s ticking, get living, start doing the shit you want to do because you’ll be old or dead before you know it! This track really encapsulates a lot of the musical elements that represent the sound of Lamassu.

From Melbourne, Australia, a colossus of sound returns with a brand new album. LAMASSU formed in 2018 and, like the hybrid human-bird-lion deity the quartet is named after, drew its members from giants of the Oz heavy underground like Field, Olmeg, and Motherslug.

Last heard, Lamassu gave us ‘Into the Empty’ (2019), which can certainly be heralded as a contemporary classic of the doom scene. Now we’re counting down the days to the band’s sophomore effort, 'Made of Dust’ (2023).

Today, Doomed & Stoned is bringing you a first listen to the second track, “Washed Away,” here revealed as a music video. Reached for comment, frontman Chris Fisher tells us:

“Washed Away” explores the frailty of life, that at any moment life as we know it can change. Whether that be illness, relationships, mental health, or work, most people have or will at some point in their life go through something that will be forever changing. Through these upheavals we learn and grow, adjust our course, while still knowing we have little control of the future, so we should just try and enjoy the ride.

The track begins with a dissonant and bluesy riff that repeats throughout, painting a sonority of weary wistfulness. The opening verses ease us further into the song, which is slowly hammering out its sharp, jagged metallic edges. “I’ve been expecting rain for as long as you’ve been here Falling down and out I’ve been, then it rains again.” As we’ve come to expect and appreciate from Lamassu, the lyrics are thoughtful and poignant. Then the chorus hits and the vocal harmonies are soothing, as it builds towards strong inner resolve. For the music video, Erin O'Rourke joins as an interpretive dancer, adding another remarkable dimension to the experience.

Look for the single on May 16th (USA), May 17th (AUS) on all major platforms, with Lamassu’s Made of Dust coming out on June 21st.

Give ear…

SOME BUZZ

Exploring themes of death, loneliness, failure and redemption, ‘Made of Dust’ traverses genres and will take you on a wild ride from the first track until the last — strap yourself in!

The album is sonically vast; from deep, heavy riffs, to moments of quiet introspection and soaring vocal harmonies, all complemented by the brooding lyricism of lead vocalist Chris Fisher.

Known for their distinct, melodic sound in the heavy music scene, Lamassu formed in 2018 with members Chris Fisher (Field), Matt Dawkins (Olmeg), Nick Rad (Motherslug) and Ant Smith (Borrachero). Following the release of their acclaimed debut, ‘Into the Empty’ in September 2019, Ant departed and Al Cooke (Field) joined on bass to round out the current lineup.

The first single ‘Washed Away’ launches 17 May on all major streaming platforms and will be accompanied by a music video filmed by Luke Ray, who also directed the video for their standalone single ‘Know Your Gods’, released October 2022.

Our age-old pull towards religious thinking & behavior doesn’t simply disappear in a secular humanistic age. In the midst of what I like to call the attention-based economy, the urge to worship is most often lavished upon people who garner wealth, infamy, and likes. Acolytes cluster into groups of like mind to celebrate these new gods, then go to war with those who oppose them.

Just as our ancient forbearers bowed before the sun and idols of ivory and gold, we bow before the wonder of expertise and officiality, the allure of bloody dollars, the infallible glory of mass recognition, but most cherished of all is the great god me, myself, and I.

Pray to suns and gods of trees
For your dead souls of greed
Your beastly needs, your dignity

LAMASSU invite us to “Know Your Gods” in their single. Chris Fisher, frontman of the Melbourne heavy grunge doom band, speaks to the song’s sardonic theme and hints of new material on the way.

In the lead up to our new album currently slated for late 2022, we wanted to release a standalone single “Know Your Gods,” which started life as an outtake from the ‘Into The Empty’ (2019) sessions, along with our first video clip directed and filmed by Luke Ray.

Lyrically the song is a tongue-in-cheek take on the impact of social media and how people shape their “reality” to be viewed a certain way by others.

Like many artists, we have a lot of new material that’s been building up over the last couple of years and has been delayed & delayed due to the pandemic, but now we are excited to finally begin releasing some of this to you.

The mood is murky, like swampland stuck in the haze of a fall morning’s fog. But Lamassu, determined to cross this fetid bog and stomp out a defiant beat with the combined force of guitars, bass, and drums. As you’re trudging on, it’s good to keep of sense of humor and the song is not without its own:

You’re staring down the sun
you’re staring down the gun
you’re holding the wrong end

Just as there was skepticism towards the ancient pantheon of gods in the midst of war and instability, Lamassu directs skepticism toward the gods of modernity. “I won’t believe,” Fisher croons, with pipes that remind me of the late Chris Cornell. I’ve always been impressed by his ability to take his vocal game sky high (see my review of their first LP).

“Know Your Gods” is nothing short of massive. The sound is crisp and the message timely. You can get a hold of the single and lyrics here. Stick this on a playlist with All Souls, Soundgarden, of course Lamassu’s Into The Empty. This is Doomed & Stoned’s world premiere of the music video.

Give ear…

Like a sunrise over the Mornington Peninsula, ‘Into The Empty’ (2019) rises with glowing heat and great promise. This is LAMASSU, and the first thing you’ll notice is that damned riff of lead guitarist Matt Dawkins. That hook got right around my heart strings and commenced to tugging right away. The rhythm section of Nick Rad (drums) and Ant Smith (bass) creates the feel of a gently rocking boat out on open waters. You never know where these rides are taking you until you hear the vocals, of course. Here they start soft, but soon Chris Fisher’s pipes heat up to Chris Cornell levels of fury. And that’s just on the first song, “Chokehold Companion” – my favorite so far of the album, but let’s venture further.

“Flow” is a dour, grungy number, where “Killing Someone” is upbeat with lyrics that seem to play on Solomon’s famous “There Is A Time For Everything” poem, best to moderns from The Byrds song, “Turn! Turn! Turn!”

Now, is the time
Time, for hate
Now, is the time
Time, for forgiveness

Now, is the time
Now, is the time
No, time to wait

I’ve often stated that Australia is what America would look like had it lost the War of Independence in 1776. Having ventured there twice, with family nested here and there throughout the continent (five uncles, an aunt, and so many cousins I’ve lost count), I’ve observed it to be a land of rugged independence. With this “parallel” universe analogy in mind, Lamassu is beginning to strike me, by this point in the record, as the Soundgarden of the Land Down Under, particularly the way Fisher’s vocals soar over a riverbed of twisted riffage and meaty rhythms.

The vibe thus far could be clustered in the same camp as Gozu or Lo-Pan, but the song “Control” has a melancholy, even depressive quality that makes the sound more akin to Khemmis.

I can’t tell
Who is foe and who is friend
I just don’t know

For a hard rock band named after an ancient Assyrian deity (you know, the one with the head of a man, the body of a bull, and wings of a bird), it’s not entirely surprising to find Lamassu dealing with subjects equal to the depth and heft of their riffs. Of particular note on Into The Empty are the themes of losing and being lost. Such is the path we mortals tread, wondering all the while if there really is someone, something, anything out there aware of our way.

The lyrics of “Failed” call to my mind a now all but forgotten film with William Holden, The Earthling (1980). It is about an elderly man who returns to his childhood home in the brush of New South Wales, like some kind of Prodigal Son, knowing full well it will be the place where he lays his death bed.

I’ve got to find my way
Like I failed to do that day
I failed to see the view
I’ve got to make it home

Home
Alone
Alone and die

“Under The Watch of a Crow” takes us further down the rabbit hole of doom, conjuring an overcast mood with strains of Pallbearer as we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, coming face to face with fate’s verdict:

You never thought that you’d die
Just from telling three lies
You must’ve thought you’d escaped from me
But now you meet your sins

Aussie rock has had a long tradition of dabbling in themes of betrayal, revenge, and nihilism in general. After all, this is the land that birthed Mad Max. It shouldn’t come as a surprise, then, that the record’s final song, “I Die,” closes on an emphatic, bittersweet note. It’s nothing if not powerful:

It’s not so much
That I want to die
As that I’m tired
Of living

I cloak myself under its enormous weight and breathe it into my lungs
A world of unforgiving disasters in this rotting century of hate
A blank state of mind and a transparent soul
I feel like I’m disappearing

Into the Empty by Lamassu emerges digitally on September 2nd, with 12” vinyl and CD formats to follow (pre-order here).

Give ear…

Some Buzz

Australian heavy rockers Lamassu are preparing to release their debut full-length album Into the Empty this September. This collective of musicians features members of Motherslug, Field, Borrachero, and Olmeg, all stalwarts of the Melbourne stoner/doom scene.

On 'Into the Empty’ (2019), Lamassu offers heavy yet restrained guitars, thick bass, and unforgiving drums, all glued together with vocals that channel almost ‘Cornell-ian’ reach and delivery. The songs are exactly as long as they need to be, drawing upon themes that challenge human existence in our modern lives.

Lamassu is:

• Chris Fisher– lead vocals/guitar
• Matt Dawkins – lead guitar/back-up vocals
• Nick Rad – drums
• Ant Smith – recorded bass
• Al Cooke – live bass

Lamassu released their debut single “Under The Watch Of A Crow” in July 2018, which was featured on 2019’s Doomed & Stoned Australia compilation. They recorded Into the Empty in late 2018 with producer/engineer/musician Mike Deslandes (High Tension / YLVA) at The Black Lodge Studios in Brunswick, Melbourne.

Journey through a vast landscape of heavy rock, traversing sonic boundaries from across the psychedelic planes to a steep gorge of mountainous riffage.